Gadiel: Cyborg Rogues, #4

By Alyse Anders

Nothing is more important to Gadiel than the safety of his team. Having failed them once, leading to their deaths and rebirths as cyborgs, he swore he'd never again put them in unnecessary danger.

Dania isn't who she claims to be. Haunted by dreams of a man whose face she never quite saw, she stole the identity of a woman slated to be on the Kraken, hoping to find him. With each passing touch and smoldering look from Gadiel, Dania can't help but wonder if he's the man of her dreams, or if she has stolen another woman's mate.

Captured by the Black Guard, Gadiel and Dania must deny their growing attraction to mount their escape and thwart a plan that would force the Grus and Fallen back into exile.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alyse Anders
• Release date: Jun 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9798215262474

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

As Gadiel stood back and watched Weixler rig a blaster to explode, he couldn’t help but think that this was a terrible idea. Not that he didn’t trust Weixler to do what needed to be done safely, more so that being divided from the rest of the team meant they were weaker, vulnerable. They couldn’t communicate through their cybernetic link due to the inhibitor in their bodies, nor could they risk communication over traditional coms and have their plan overheard.

Gadiel trusted his team, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t worry. He’d spent most of his time as leader of the Qadrus ensuring that their plans would go off without a problem. That his team had what they needed to be successful, while also giving the Grus and the Fallen leaders the information they needed to guarantee they wouldn’t interfere with their missions.

It was a delicate balance to walk.

Weixler joined him, appearing pleased with his solution. Ten seconds.

Gadiel began the mental countdown. How big a blast will this cause?

Big enough that we won’t have time to linger. We’ll have to grab the women and move quickly.

Gadiel nodded as he pulled out his secondary weapon. They’d have to be careful or else the humans were at risk of getting caught in the crossfire. The intensity of the explosion rattled the back of Gadiel’s head and sent a small surge through his cybernetics. From the look on Weixler’s face it had been more intense than he’d anticipated; odd considering how precise Weixler typically was with his calculations. Gadiel jumped into the hole with Weixler coming directly behind him, and quickly surveyed the room as he laid down suppressing fire.

There were three Black Guard present in the room, who immediately opened fire on them, taking cover as they moved. Qwin and Eion had breached from the opposite side, rescuing the woman connected to a medical bed, while Weixler immediately flocked to the small woman with massively curly hair, grabbing her to his side.

Gadiel turned, his gaze snapping to the remaining woman and time appeared to slow. She’d taken limited cover behind a desk, her eyes wide as she pressed against the wall. Her blonde hair was pulled back from her face and tucked behind her ears. She looked serious, but also had an energy to her that appeared to add to her physical presence. When she looked at him, their gaze meeting, Gadiel knew in his heart that she was his mate.

She was the person he was supposed to live the rest of his life with.

He wanted to say something to her, wanted to make her promises to do things for her that he didn’t understand. Wanted to protect and keep her safe, even if that was something that she might not want or appreciate. All of these thoughts were processed in the briefest of moments, before he took a single step toward her to block her from harm’s way.

Blaster fire exploded around them, leaving them with little cover. They needed to get out of this kill box to safety before the situation got out of control. Pulling up the scans he’d made of the city while on the roof, he turned and used his blaster to blow a hole in the weak spot in the wall where the conduit that Weixler had ruptured ran. Fresh air from outside hit him in the face as he rushed forward, grabbing his mate around the waist before jumping out of the building.

She let out a surprised shout as they flew through the air to land on the road below. It was strange having her pressed to his side, being able to finally touch and smell her and know that she wasn’t a figment. They didn’t have time to stop, so he held her hand as they bolted across the street to hide behind a wall. He’d expected Weixler and his mate to fall in quickly behind them, but rather than follow his lead, Weixler had gone in the opposite direction.

They were even more separated than before, leaving the team exposed.

Is Petra safe?

Gadiel looked down at his mate, surprised at the tone of authority she had. Her voice was deeper than he’d anticipated, huskier, and that short sentence ignited a torrent of arousal deep inside him. He had to take a breath before he could speak.

Who’s Petra?

The shorter woman who was with me.

She’s with Weixler.

The words had barely left him when a grenade exploded in the street, forcing them back behind the wall. There was no way to safely reunite with Weixler here. They’d have to circle around and meet up further away. It was frustrating to be cut off from their cybernetic link that allowed communication, but they’d been a team far longer than they’d been cyborgs. Rather than delay longer, he gave Weixler a series of hand signals telling them to go around.

We’re leaving. He reached down and took her hand, pausing to look her in the eyes. I’m Gadiel.

She hesitated for a moment, licking her lower lip. Dania.

The name suited her. Dania, we need to run.

What about Petra and Olya? Are they going to be – ?

Another blast of fire from the Black Guard operatives now spilling from the building cut her off. Gadiel knew they had limited time to get safely back to the shuttle. There would be plenty of time for conversations then. They took off running, and he made sure he wasn’t going faster than her capabilities. Dania had long legs that allowed her to keep pace and they quickly put distance between them and the building where the women had been held.

Unfortunately, the path of least resistance was also the road farthest away from the shuttle landing site. They were currently on the opposite side of the city from where the rest of the team would be headed, which meant he had to take Dania on a much wider circle around to get back. Without knowing the number of people chasing them, or the alert system that the Black Guard had in the city, Gadiel couldn’t be certain of the best way forward.

For her part, Dania appeared more than willing to go with him and do what was necessary. Considering they hadn’t had more than a moment to speak, he was surprised with her easy compliance given everything that had happened to her in such a short period of time. She’d been woken up from stasis, only to be kidnapped, held hostage, and then dramatically rescued.

It was a lot.

Dania’s pace began to slow, and he realized that she wouldn’t be able to continue much longer. Her muscles would still be weaker than normal after her time in stasis, even with the nanobots in her body repairing and reinforcing her biological systems. They needed a place to hide for a brief time so she could catch her breath, and he’d have an opportunity to talk to his future mate.

A crowd in one of the many outside squares was milling around street vendors, giving them some cover and an opportunity to disappear. He slowed them to a walk and pulled her to his side. Let’s make our way over to the vendor in the middle.

She nodded and fell into step with him a bit awkwardly. Think we’ll lose them here?

Perhaps. If nothing else, it gives us some additional cover and a chance to figure out what the status of the ship is. While he hated not being able to reach out and communicate with the others, he trusted that they’d do what was necessary to get themselves and their mates to safety. That left him to focus on Dania’s safety and implement his plan to get them back to the shuttle.

The vendor that he’d homed in on was one of the busier ones. They sold some sort of food that held little appeal to him, and some cloaks that would help them blend into the crowd better. He stood before the vendor, knowing his cybernetic eyes would give his status as a cyborg away. How much for two cloaks?

The woman looked at them both, her eyes wide. "Ah, 400 darnex."

I don’t have that much. He continued to hold her gaze, while trying to come up with a solution. Can I earn them in another way?

The woman’s gaze slid over to Dania. For a moment he wasn’t certain what she wanted, not until the woman pointed at her hair.

Possessiveness at the thought of someone other than him owning a piece of Dania turned Gadiel’s stomach. No.

Wait! Dania shoved him to the side, so she stood in front of the woman. I can’t give you all of my hair, but I can give you a lock. Does that work?

The woman grinned and nodded, while handing Dania a knife. She didn’t hesitate to grab a bunch and cut off a thick lock of the soft looking blonde strands. Here you go.

The grin on the woman’s face didn’t let up, even as she handed the two cloaks over. Gadiel threw the smallest one across Dania’s shoulders before attempting to hide as much of his body as he could beneath the less than ample material.

I don’t think that’s going to be as effective as you were hoping. The smirk on Dania’s lips made her eyes sparkle. Let’s hope they’ve forgotten how tall you are.

Desire pooled low in his gut as he continued to stare at the soft angles of her face. He knew nothing about her, but he couldn’t deny the overwhelming connection he already felt with her. It was more than physical attraction. There was something about Dania that he couldn’t quite identify that he was drawn to. Her openness? The humor she was clamping down on? He wasn’t sure. Tearing his gaze away, he scanned the crowds once more. We need to find someplace safe to hide until we lose the guards and can safely return to the shuttle.

There was what appeared to be a small area where people were sitting and eating. Gadiel nodded in that direction, and they headed toward it. We need to make our way back to the shuttle before its too late and we get cut off from the others.

Do you think they were able to get Olya out okay?

The woman on the medical bed? He couldn’t imagine Qwin wouldn’t do whatever was necessary to save his mate. Our doctor was there. I know he’ll help your friend.

She’s not my friend. Dania appeared a little saddened by the statement. Well, I haven’t known her long enough to call her that at least. Still, they took her away and did something to her. I just want to make sure that she’s not hurt.

They sat down on a bench near the far end of the seating area. A server came by with drinks in hand, but Gadiel waved them off. Dania had sat down beside him but left significant space between their bodies. He had to resist the urge to pull her close so he could feel every inch of her against him, to reassure himself that she had escaped unscathed. Gadiel closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. Yes, the inhibitor that Hallam had given him was still working, but being this close to her was still potent. Maybe the inhibitor was doing what it needed to do, and his reaction was psychosomatic. Simply knowing she was his mate had his body on edge ready for something more.

The idea that there was someone out there who he was supposed to belong to was heady. He’d overseen the Qadrus for so long, had kept himself separated from the others in the event he needed to give the order that might end one of their lives. The concept of being a soul mate to another being felt strange and more than a little terrifying.

Frak, he needed to concentrate on the problem at hand.

He wanted to know what the Black Guard’s plan had been all along. Coming to Zarlan and kidnapping the women was a risk that seemed so far outside of their normal realm of behavior it didn’t fit. Maintaining the short distance between them, Gadiel turned to face her. Did they give any indication as to their plan?

Dania didn’t meet his gaze, her eyes darting around the crowd. Not really. They were primarily focused on Olya and her nanobots.

That had to be important. Qwin was able to get to her. He and Eion will ensure she gets to safety.

It still left the question what